Establishes Commission on Career and Technical Education and creates initiatives that promote career and technical education programs in State.

S3458

SENATE, No. 3458

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 9, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Corrado and Greenstein

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Commission on Career and Technical
Education and creates initiatives that promote career and technical education
programs in State.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning career and technical education and
supplementing various parts of the statutory law.�

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� There is established
a Commission on Career and Technical Education.� The purpose of the commission
is to study and evaluate the availability of high quality secondary career and
technical education programs across counties, including programs offered by
county vocational school districts and programs offered by other school
districts, and to review the costs, benefits, and challenges associated with
potential expansion.

���� b.��� The commission shall
consist of the following 11 members:

���� (1)�� the Commissioner of
Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (2)�� the Director of the
Office of Career and Technical Education in the Department of Education; and

���� (3)�� 9 members appointed by
the Governor, who shall include: three superintendents of a county vocational
school district upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Council of County
Vocational-Technical Schools; one principal of a public school operating a career
and technical education program; two teachers employed in a public school
career and technical education program; one member upon the recommendation of
the New Jersey Education Association; one member from the New Jersey Business
and Industry Association; and one member from the New Jersey Council of County
Vocational-Technical Schools.

���� c.���� Appointments to the
commission shall be made within 30 days after the effective date of this act.�
Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same
manner as the original appointments were made.� Members of the commission shall
serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures
incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the commission within
the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission
for its purposes.

���� 2.��� The commission shall
organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but
no later than 60 days after the effective date of this act.� The commission
shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary
who need not be a member of the commission.

���� 3.��� The Department of
Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative
assistants, and such professional staff as the commission requires to carry out
its work.� The commission also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and
avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or
municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require
and as may be available for its purposes.

���� 4.��� The commission shall
study and evaluate:

���� a.���� the equity in the
number and scope of career and technical education programs available across
counties;

���� b.��� options to improve the
availability of high quality career and technical education programs so that
more students can be served; and

���� c.���� the costs, benefits,
and challenges associated with the expansion of approved career and technical
education programs throughout the State.�

���� 5.��� a.� The commission shall
issue a final report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section
2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than one year after the
commission organizes.� The report shall contain the commission�s findings and
recommendations regarding the expansion of career and technical education
programs in the State.

���� b.��� The commission shall
expire 30 days after the issuance of its final report.

���� 6.��� Except as otherwise
provided pursuant to section 14 of P.L.2007, c.137 (C.18A:7G-45), a county
vocational school district operating a career and technical education program
shall have the right of first refusal to purchase or lease at or below fair
market value, a closed public school facility or property located in the same
county.

���� 7.��� The principal of a public
school with students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 shall take such action as
is necessary to promote an interest in and increase awareness of educational
opportunities available through career and technical education programs offered
by the district, local charter schools, and the county vocational school district.�
Such actions shall include, but need not be limited to:

���� a.���� making an annual
announcement to the student body at a student assembly or similar event about
career and technical education opportunities;

���� b.��� making an annual
announcement to parents and guardians at the school�s annual back-to-school
night or similar event about career and technical education opportunities; and

���� c.���� annually posting an
announcement on the school district website or sending an annual notice or
email to students and parents or guardians about career and technical education
opportunities.

���� 8.��� The Department of
Education shall provide on its website information on best practices in the
field of career and technical education, including information on methods to
maximize enrollment, retention, and student performance.� The department shall
also include on its website profiles of the State�s most successful and
innovative career and technical education programs.� The information shall be
updated annually.�

���� 9.��� When reviewing a charter
school application, the commissioner shall give a preference to an application
for a charter school that will offer an approved career and technical education
program that is not duplicative of programs offered in the resident district or
county vocational school district.�

���� 10.� When reviewing an
application submitted by a proposed choice district, the commissioner shall
give a preference to an application of a district that offers an approved
career and technical education program that is not duplicative of programs
offered in the� county vocational school district.�

���� 11.� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2026-2027 school year.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a
Commission on Career and Technical Education and creates various initiatives
that promote career and technical education programs in the State.�

���� Under the bill, the Commission
on Career and Technical Education will study and evaluate the availability of
high quality secondary career and technical education programs across counties
and review the costs, benefits, and challenges associated with the potential
expansion of career and technical education programs in the State.� The
11-member commission will include: the Commissioner of Education, or a
designee; the Director of the Office of Career and Technical Education in the
Department of Education; and 9 members appointed by the Governor, including:
three superintendents of a county vocational school district upon the
recommendation of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical
Schools; one principal of a public school operating a career and technical
education program; two teachers employed in a public school career and
technical education program; one member upon the recommendation of the New
Jersey Education Association; one member from the New Jersey Business and
Industry Association; and one member from the New Jersey Council of County
Vocational-Technical Schools.��������������� The bill also does the following:

�

grants the right of first refusal to a county vocational school
district operating a career and technical education program to purchase or
lease at or below fair market value, a closed public school facility or
property located in the same county;

�

requires the principal of a public school with students enrolled
in grades 6 through 12 to take specific actions that will promote an interest
in and increase awareness of educational opportunities available through career
and technical education programs offered by the district, local charter
schools, and the county vocational school district;

�

directs the Department of Education to provide on its website
information on best practices in the field of career and technical education;

�

provides that the Commissioner of Education will give preference
to an application for a charter school that proposes to offer an approved
career and technical education program that is not duplicative of programs
offered in the resident district or county vocational school district; and

�

provides that the Commissioner of Education will give preference
to an application submitted by a proposed choice district under the
�Interdistrict Public School Choice Program� that offers an approved career and
technical education program that is not duplicative of programs offered in the
county vocational school district.